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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amit Chavda takes charge as GPCC chief, Tushar Chaudhary as CLP leader
As Amit Chavda on Tuesday took charge as the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, he declared the day as 'Sankalp Diwas' and assured that he would reach every house in the state, listen to people's problems and fight for them. Tushar Chaudhary also took charge as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) at the same event. 'It won't work if we just leave from here taking the sankalp (oath). We have to reach every house in Gujarat, listen to people's problems, come out on the streets and then reach Parliament, fighting for their rights. To fulfil people's hope for a change in 2027, in Gujarat, we will not hesitate coming out on the streets, fighting for their rights,' Chavda said in his address at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in Ahmedabad in the presence of senior Congress leaders, including state Congress in-charge Mukul Wasnik, former presidents Shaktisinh Gohil and Jagdish Thakor, party Lok Sabha MP Geniben Thakor, former Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathva. This is the second time that Chavda, a five-time MLA from Anklav in Anand district, is taking charge as the GPCC president — a position he had held from 2018 to 2021. Later in 2023, he was appointed as the Leader of the CLP. Pointing at the low strength of Congress MLAs in the Gujarat Assembly, Chaudhary highlighted how he has to face 170 members with just 12 members in the Assembly. He, however, named each of the members and said they are capable of taking on the 170 BJP MLAs .'If any issue arises related to Saurashtra, Vimal Chudasama will raise his voice in the House. When it comes to tribal issues, Anant Patel and Kanti Kharadi will take on that. Imran Khedawala will highlight matters affecting minority communities. Jignesh Mevani will continue to challenge the government over its 'insensitive' actions. Kirit Patel, who is like an academician, knows his subject very well when it comes to discussions on any Bill in the House and Shailesh Parmar, like always, will take on the government on law and financial issues and question the government's accountability, forcing it to enforce the rules.' Meanwhile, Chavda stated that despite taking charge at a 'difficult and challenging time', he would make sure it does not affect Congress workers. 'Wearing this crown of thorns, I will ensure these thorns do not hurt my workers, those who have given me this responsibility with the hope of defeating the BJP in 2027,' he added. He also highlighted issues of employment among the youth, expensive education, fixed pay and contractual hiring, farmers' distress, apart from ones faced by small and medium traders, alleging that land mafia, mining mafia, education mafia, health mafia are running loose in Gujarat and corruption is seeped deep in the government where its own ministers have high stakes. 'Let us take the sankalp (oath) to eradicate all these from Gujarat and hoist the Congress flag in Gandhinagar in 2027. This is not only an oath to bring Congress as the ruling party but to end exploitation of people of Gujarat at the hands of BJP, to give them a respectable, safe and secure life,' he added.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress puts key OBC, ST faces at Gujarat helm, banks on political families for revival
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership on Thursday named Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Amit Chavda as the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, appointing Khedbrahma MLA and ex-Union minister Tushar Chaudhary as the new CLP leader. Chavda, 49, has returned as the state Congress chief after four years, having served in this position during 2018-21. The former GPCC chief, Shaktisinh Gohil, Rajya Sabha MP, had resigned from his post last month, owning responsibility for the party's debacle in the Assembly bypolls. Chavda, an OBC leader, is a five-time MLA from Anklav in Anand district, whose grandfather Ishwarbhai Chavda was an MP. He is also the cousin of former GPCC chief and Union Minister Bharatsinh Solanki. Chavda, who was unavailable for comment, thanked the Congress leadership in a post on X, saying, 'it is a solemn responsibility to fight for every Gujarati and uphold the values the Congress Party stands for. As a devoted soldier of the party, I will work day and night to strengthen @INCGujarat, fulfil the aspirations of our people, and realise the vision of Rahul Gandhiji' These appointments came a week after the Congress leadership held meetings and deliberations in this regard. Chavda was among a dozen state Congress leaders who were called by the party high command last week to Delhi, where they attended a crucial meeting held by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with the party's Gujarat in-charge Mukul Wasnik. Some of the other state party leaders in the reckoning for the two top posts, including Lalji Desai, Geniben Thakor and Paresh Dhanani, were also present in this meeting, among others. Following Gohil's resignation, Shailesh Parmar, the party MLA from the reserved Danilimda constituency in Ahmedabad city, was handling the GPCC affairs on an interim basis. The appointments of Chavda and Chaudhary are seen as crucial at this juncture when the Congress is trying hard to reinvent itself and gain ground in Gujarat, where it has been out of power for the last 30 years. Chaudhary, who is the son of late chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary, told The Indian Express that raising 'public issues' will be his priority while working to strengthen the party. Chaudhary, who is a first-time MLA from Khedbrahma in north Gujarat, a seat once held by his father, also said: 'We have raised MNREGA (irregularities) issue as a party and I have also raised it in my personal capacity. Now, people have come to know about the (alleged scam) in MGNREGA. We have also been raising the issues in the Nal Se Jal Yojana and it has also come out that there are irregularities in it… So, I will continue to raise issues that directly affect people on the floor of the House, and try to strengthen the party.' Currently, in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the Congress has only 12 MLAs. The party launched the pilot project of its proposed countrywide 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan' from Gujarat, and recently appointed about 40 new District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents through this process. Chavda, who holds a diploma in chemical engineering, has also held various positions in several education trusts and cooperative bodies. He also contested, unsuccessfully, the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Anand. A tribal leader, Chaudhary is a former Congress MP from Bardoli, which he retained in 2009, when it was carved from the Mandvi Lok Sabha constituency – a Congress bastion since 1962 that Chaudhary had won in 2004. Bardoli has been held by the BJP since 2014. When asked about the arrest of Congress vice-president Hira Jotva and his son in the alleged MGNREGA scam in Bharuch district, Chaudhary said, 'Let the truth come out… he is not directly involved in the MGNREGA work.. He had been doing business but stopped in the last ten years. He was our Lok Sabha candidate and also contested the Assembly polls. He is a prominent Ahir leader in Saurashtra and a victim of BJP's vindictive politics.' Speaking about the tribal districts of Gujarat, Chaudhary said that unemployment and lack of implementation of the Forest Rights Act have been major issues facing the tribals. 'They (tribals) are not able to get their lands and it is an issue… Previously, the Congress party's protests ensured that the Gujarat government had to withdraw its decision to eliminate the management quota scholarship for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, so we will continue to raise such issues in the Assembly.' Chaudhary also said that with the state's civic body polls slated for next year, he would 'identify issues' facing specific cities with the help of the local party units. He said he would also take up the issues in the House in the larger interest of the urban population, besides looking to improve the Congress's tally in the civic bodies.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Amit Chavda appointed Gujarat Congress president, Tushar Chaudhary to lead legislature party
Weeks after Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Shaktisinh Gohil stepped down following the party's poor performance in the recent Assembly bypolls, the Congress on Thursday appointed senior leader Amit Chavda as the new state unit president. The party also named former Union Minister Tushar Chaudhary as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in the Gujarat Assembly, replacing Mr. Chavda in that role. 'Congress president has appointed Mr. Chavda as the president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect. Congress president has also approved the proposal for the appointment of Dr. Chaudhary as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Gujarat, with immediate effect,' said K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary (organisation), in a statement. 'The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC president Shaktisinh Gohil,' the statement added. Mr. Gohil had resigned after the Congress failed to secure a win in either of the two Assembly constituencies that went to bypolls last month. He was appointed GPCC president in June 2023, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Reacting to his appointment, Mr. Chavda said in a post on X: 'This is not just a post — it is a solemn responsibility to fight for every Gujarati and uphold the values the Congress Party stands for.' He added, 'As a devoted soldier of the party, I will work day and night to strengthen @INCGujarat, fulfill the aspirations of our people, and realise the vision of @RahulGandhi ji in Gujarat.' Eom/ABH
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Time of India
RoRo ferries on Chorao-Ribandar route reduce travel time from 15min to 5 mins
Panaji: Two RoRo (roll on/roll off) ferries, Gangotri and Dwarka, were launched on the Chorao–Ribandar route on Monday. The ferries will operate on a PPP basis, said chief minister Pramod Sawant during the launch. 'These vessels will cut travel time from 15 minutes to just five minutes,' he said. 'With air-conditioned facilities for pedestrians, zero-emission features, and their capacity to carry an additional 15-16 vehicles compared to regular ferries, most of the commuters waiting to travel will be accommodated aboard the vessel. Ambulances that used to have additional waiting time due to the limitations of the regular ferries will no longer have to suffer,' he said. Sawant added that more RoRo services will be introduced on other river routes to strengthen waterway transport and promote tourism. 'This RoRo is an epitome of Make in India and Made in Goa. We plan to replicate this successful project across the state,' Sawant added. Sharing his thoughts on the decision to no tify fares for commuters travelling on this route, Sawant said, 'The ferry services operate on a 100% basis because the rides are free for pedestrians. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Update: The Strategy Uses By Successful Intraday Trader TradeWise Learn More Undo When we give the public an upgrade in its facilities, they must contribute by paying the fare. We also have a concessional pass system for those who find the daily fares exorbitant,' Sawant said. The launch was also attended by MP Shripad Naik and the minister for river navigation, Subhash Phal Dessai. Naik said that Gangotri and Dwarka are not 'outsider' names. 'Both names are inspired by Indian culture, there is no insider and outsider about this. Someone who makes an issue about it cannot be considered Indian,' he said. He was reacting to GPCC president Amit Patkar's claim that these names are non-Indian. Phal Desai said that it was his decision to name them and also said that these are two pure names that are associated with water bodies, which is why they have been named so. 'One need not politicise something like this,' he said.
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Gujarat, Patidar pitch for Cong chief post grows as key faces reach out to Rahul Gandhi
Days after Shaktisinh Gohil resigned as the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president owning moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the recent Visavadar and Kadi Assembly bypolls, a slew of the party's Patidar faces have demanded that a leader from their community be named the new GPCC chief. At least 28 Patidar leaders from the Congress, including several former MLAs and MPs, met at a farmhouse in Ahmedabad on July 1, following which ex-MP Virji Thummar wrote to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over their demand. The meeting concluded that as the Congress has long 'sidelined' Patidars in its Gujarat politics, the appointment of a Patidar leader at the helm of the GPCC would boost the party's prospects in the state, sources said. Some leaders claimed that 'a section of Patidars is not very happy with the ruling BJP, so they could return to the Congress if the party gives its leadership to a Patidar face', sources said. In the post-Narendra Modi period in Gujarat, the Congress put up its best performance in the 2017 Assembly elections on the back of the Patidar quota agitation led by Hardik Patel. Patidars, listed in the general category, are considered a politically-influential community in Gujarat, given their numerical strength as well as dominance in several major sectors including agriculture, trade and education. The community forms the core of the BJP support base in the state. Their alliance however came under severe strain during Patidars' 2015-17 stir demanding that the community be put in the OBC category and be extended the attendant benefits of reservation in government jobs and education. In the 2017 polls, the Congress won 77 of 182 seats while the BJP's tally plunged to just 99 seats. In the 2022 polls, however, the BJP regained the Patidar community's support, registering its best-ever performance by bagging 156 seats against the Congress's 17. The current BJP's Chief Minister is a Patidar face Bhupendra Patel. The Gujarat Congress has mostly been headed by the OBC leaders, its last Patidar president being Siddharth Patel, son of ex-CM late Chimanbhai Patel, who held the post during 2008-10. The tallest Patidar leader to hold the post and for the longest period was its first president Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who remained the GPCC president from its inception in 1920 until 1946. The last time a Patidar leader held a key Congress position in Gujarat was during 2018-2021 when Paresh Dhanani served as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. The July 1 meeting of the Congress's Patidar leaders lasted for three hours, with the attendees including Virji Thummar, ex MLAs Lalit Vasoya, Lalit Kathagra, Gitaben Patel and Pratap Dudhat, ex-Mahila Morcha chief and Virji Thummar's daughter Jenny Thummar, among others. Senior Patidar leaders such as Siddharth Patel, Paresh Dhanani, and Ashok Adhewada, gave the meeting a miss due to 'personal and social reasons'. Sources said the invitation was extended to 34 Patidar leaders of the state Congress, of whom 28 attended the meeting. In his letter to Rahul Gandhi, Virji, former Amreli MP, stated: 'We are seeking an appointment with you to discuss the present situation of Congress in Gujarat and how the caste equation and balance are much needed… for the better performance of the party in the upcoming elections (and) for a more inclusive party politics. Please accept our proposal and call us soon for a meeting.' Talking to The Indian Express, Virji said, 'In the July 1 meeting, it was discussed how the Congress could get the Patidar community's support back, which was earlier a strong vote bank of the party. We concluded that if the Congress appoints a Patidar leader as the GPCC chief, the community could get reconnected to the party. There are over 11% Patidar voters in Gujarat. Patidars are financially strong, and other castes also support them. The community is very unhappy with the present BJP. If the community is given respect by making one of their leaders as GPCC president, we are sure they would return to the Congress.' Virji also said, 'Before writing the letter to Rahul Gandhi, I called up AICC's observer for Gujarat Mukul Wasnik and shared the conclusion of our community leaders' meeting… Wasnik said he has sent our meeting proposal to Gandhi.' Lalit Vasoya, ex-Dhoraji MLA, told The Indian Express: 'The GPCC president's post is lying vacant now and no Patidar has been chosen for it for a long time. So why can't we seize the opportunity and make our case to Rahul Gandhi.' Paresh Dhanani said, 'The Congress should appoint such a leader as the GPCC chief who is affiliated to the party's ideology. In Gujarat, political leaders indulge in casteism and communalism, but the voters do not believe in them. Patidars have been left out from the posts of GPCC president and LoP (CLP leader) in Gujarat for a long time, barring the stints of Siddharthbhai Patel and me.' He also said, 'In the 2017 elections, the Congress secured 77 seats, largely due to the Patidar quota movement, which had spread across the state. Patidars were unhappy with the BJP, so they backed the Congress. The Patidar votes are influential in 106 seats, which include 33 seats where the Patidar candidates from different parties contest against each other. If a Patidar is made the GPCC chief, it would impact the state's political equations and benefit the Congress.' Jenny Thummar said the July 1 meeting focused on regaining the Patidar votes for the Congress. 'The party appointed 41 DCC chiefs, of whom seven are Patidars. Our meeting discussed ways to support them and strengthen the Congress organisation. A key point was how a Patidar GPCC chief would bolster the party.'
